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Roast Sausage and Fennel with Orange

4.9

(26)

Roasted sausages and fresh orange supremes scattered on a platted over shaved red onion and fennel topped with fennel...
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li

This sheet-pan sausage dinner is here for you when doing a pile of dishes isn’t on your to-do list. Roasting the sausages at a higher temperature helps them achieve the same golden brown color you’d get from searing them in a hot skillet. Thinly sliced shallots, leeks, or cabbage would all be great here too. And think of fennel fronds as a bonus that comes with the bulb; use them anywhere you would another tender herb like parsley or dill.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds reserved, bulbs halved through root end, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 small red onion, halved through root end, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 sprigs rosemary
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
6 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 1/2 lb. total)
1 medium navel orange
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Flaky sea salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a rack in highest position in oven; preheat to 425°F. Combine fennel bulbs, red onion, and rosemary sprigs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp. oil, season generously with kosher salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange sausages on top, spacing evenly and nestling into vegetables. Prick sausages all over with the tip of a paring knife and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil. Roast until sausages are browned on top and cooked though and fennel is tender and deeply browned in spots, 25–30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved fennel fronds (you want about 1/4 cup); set aside. Cut the ends off orange to reveal flesh. Rest orange upright on a cut side and cut down around orange to remove peel and white pith, rotating it as you go; discard peel. Working over a small bowl, hold orange in your hand and cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Squeeze membranes to extract any remaining juice into bowl; discard membranes. Add vinegar to orange segments and juice and toss to combine; season with kosher salt and pepper.

    Step 3

    Remove baking sheet from oven. Using your hand or a spoon to block segments, pour juices from orange over sausage and fennel mixture. Set orange segments aside and let sausages and fennel mixture cool 5 minutes.

    Step 4

    Transfer sausages and fennel mixture to a platter. Crumble rosemary leaves over and scatter reserved orange segments and fennel fronds on top. Season with sea salt and a bit more pepper; drizzle with oil.

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